2018 NBA Draft Trade Rumors: Timberwolves Trying to Deal for 1st-Round Pick
The Minnesota Timberwolves have reportedly inquired about acquiring a first-round pick in Thursday night's draft, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
The Wolves have reportedly spoken to at least two teams about adding a pick. The team holds the Nos. 20 and 48 picks.
The T-Wolves currently have nine players under contract for the 2018-19 season and could seek to use the draft to fill out the roster. Trades could possibly bolster the squad, though their options in free agency will be limited, as the team already has $116 million tied up in the salary cap.
That means the team will be looking at having just the midlevel exception ($8.6 million) and biannual exception ($3.4 million) to attract players come free agency.
Minnesota has the biggest need on the wing, where it has no depth behind Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins. There is a lot of wing depth in the middle of the first round through the second, however, so the Wolves could address that need in that way.
Of course, the draft could also serve as a means to dump a contract like Gorgui Dieng, who is scheduled to make $15.1 million this year, $16.2 next season and $17.2 million in the 2020-21 campaign, per Spotrac.
The Wolves could use their draft picks to sweeten the pot in a trade to acquire more veteran help. The options are plentiful for Minnesota, which could have an interesting draft if it decides to be either buyers or sellers with those assets.
